Be Careful Discouraging Kimani Gray Protesters

In Black Star News, Milton Allimadi writes that when Councilman Jumaane Williams blamed outsiders for protests, it was a muddled message. Outsiders can affect change in a way that perhaps one community alone can't.

When protesters hit the streets of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, N.Y., earlier this week to speak out against the death of 16-year-old Kimani Gray at the hands of two New York City police officers, local Councilman Jumaane Williams told media that much of the ruckus was caused by "outsiders." However, in Black Star News Milton Allimadi says historically it has been outsiders who've made changes in America and around the world.

Anger by outraged New Yorkers led to chaos during a vigil Monday for Kimani and on Wednesday scores were arrested during another heated event. Councilman Williams denounced acts of violence by some of the people who came out to the vigil.

Williams said the violent acts were instigated by outsiders. Unlike residents of the neighborhood where Kimani was killed, such outsiders have the luxury of later departing ...

This would be improper and unconstitutional; muzzling those who want to express legitimate outrage and opposition to the heavy-handed aggressive policing, including the unconstitutional stop-and-frisk regime under Commissioner Ray Kelly and Mayor Michael Bloomberg ...

There were no outsiders during the fight against racial discrimination and segregation in the South. People from all walks of life and parts of the United States traveled to participate in that just struggle."Outsiders" were instrumental in the Civil Rights struggle and in the collapse of the Apartheid regime.

The Root aims to foster and advance conversations about issues relevant to the black Diaspora by presenting a variety of opinions from all perspectives, whether or not those opinions are shared by our editorial staff.